]]>A grand jury in West Baton Rouge (La.) indicted former Brusly police officers Dan Cipriano and Anthony Dupre after a video of them being violent with a middle-schooler was leaked.

Cipriano was charged with simple battery and Dupre received a charge of malfeasance in office for their actions when arresting the student, reports CBS News.

Simple battery could lead to six months in prison or a fine of up to $1,000, according to the Washington Post. Malfeasance in office is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000.

Video surveillance from Oct. 5 shows one officer wrestling with the 14-year-old boy at Brusly Middle School and slamming him to the ground. The second officer enters to assist in handcuffing the student and hurls the student against a desk.

Staff members seem to be in panic during the incident and one woman is shown covering her face with her hands.

While it is still unknown why the officers reacted with such force, the boy admitted to reaching for Dupre’s gun at one point.

The video shows a staff member picking one of the officer’s unholstered guns from the floor and putting it on the table.

Both officers resigned in November upon the request of Brusly Police Chief Jonathan Lafeaux. He felt the officers would face difficulties if they continued to work in the community.

Family members of the teen feel that more severe charges are warranted, especially with the video evidence.

“They feel the DA’s office did an adequate job by bringing it quickly to the people but feel it was a slap on the wrist based on the tape and what they saw done to their grandson,” said Kwame Asante, the student’s attorney.

According to the student’s grandmother, he was left with bruises on his face and cut on his chin, but she fears for the possible psychological effects he could face.

“Since the incident, he went in the hospital with more trauma,” she said.

]]>Alabama education officials are drafting a new policy that will ensure all public school systems are able to monitor student sex offenders.

Allowing convicted sex offenders back into school can be a controversial subject. However, the state of Alabama requires all children 16 and younger to be enrolled in some form of schooling, whether it be private, public or home-schooled.

Within the next two years, each local education authority will adopt the policy, reports NBC 15.

School personnel will meet with all juvenile sex offenders to create individualized safety plans for each student, according to a draft of the model policy.

All offenders will have to submit an application to be on school property and attend school functions.

After his conviction, the boy returned to school where he interacted with Annalyn’s brother.

“You can imagine how horrified we were,” Annalyn’s mother said. “We had no forewarning. No one told us this was possible at all…for our son to have to go to school every day and see the person who abused his little sister?”

The law, passed earlier this year, requires police to notify school superintendents about juvenile sex offenders.

]]>https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/juvenile-sex-offenders-alabama-schools/feed/0New Iris Recognition Technology Installed at Auburn Universityhttps://www.campussafetymagazine.com/university/new-iris-recognition-technology-used-at-auburn-university/
https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/university/new-iris-recognition-technology-used-at-auburn-university/#respondTue, 18 Dec 2018 17:05:50 +0000http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/?p=61113The new technology will be used to secure the athletic facilities and help eliminate the need for access control cards, fobs, or PIN codes.

]]>Auburn University has updated and expanded the biometric identity system it uses to secure areas within its athletic facilities.

Princeton Identity’s new IDS software and Access200 iris readers allow student-athletes, coaches and other affiliated team members enrolled in the system to unlock the doors to team locker rooms by glancing at small reader panels mounted outside each entrance, according to an announcement.

As athletes and coaches rarely carry personal items with them onto the field, the Princeton Identity system eliminates the need for access control cards, fobs, or PIN codes, which can be difficult to manually enter when carrying equipment. It also increases security.

Biometric credentials make it impossible for students to share cards or codes with others, while the system’s convenience factor reduces the desire for students to leave doors propped open for easier access.

“We are honored to have Auburn University as a long-term partner and customer,” says Jeff Kohler, business development director at Princeton Identity. “Their adoption of Princeton Identity’s technology demonstrates a team committed to offering both security and convenience to its student-athletes and staff members.”

The new IDS software is browser-based, providing greater flexibility to school administrators responsible for enrolling students and managing the system. The system’s Access200e enrollment camera is a stand-alone unit that can be plugged into any network jack without need for special software or drivers, allowing enrollment to occur from any web-enabled device, including tablets and laptops.

Permissions are handled through integration with the university’s Lenel OnGuard access control system. When students leave a team or graduate, their permissions are turned off. However, as iris signatures remain stable over time if students or staff return to the program — even years later — there is no need for re-enrollment. Their permissions are simply reactivated.

System configuration, management and monitoring of the IDS system is handled through a web-based dashboard that provides Auburn’s IT staff with access to all devices, which are spread across multiple buildings on campus.

The installation of new Princeton Identity hardware and software is an upgrade to the university’s legacy Princeton Identity system, which was installed in 2011. Since that time, the system has required almost no maintenance. The new platform offers faster processing, a superior software interface, more features and greater flexibility, according to the company.

Older readers will still be supported, allowing the university to preserve the value of earlier investments.

“Reaction to the PI system has been overwhelmingly positive. When we give campus tours to prospective students and their parents, the moms and dads are most impressed with it — especially if they are parents of a female student-athlete,” says the university’s Jeff Steele, associate director of facilities and operations. “They can see that it’s a much stronger system than key or card access.”

]]>Rockefeller University Hospital, formerly the Research Institute, in New York has admitted that former child growth specialist Reginald Archibald most likely sexually abused more than 1,000 victims over what could have been 40 years.

Attorneys representing the abused patients confirmed the number of victims could make this the largest case of sexual abuse by one person in the U.S., reports CBS News.

Patients and relatives of those treated by the praised doctor are questioning why the hospital stayed quiet about the alleged assaults, especially when the doctor died over a decade ago.

They are also looking for Polaroids the doctor would take during examinations, according to Newsweek, however, the photos have not been found in medical records.

“He was revered like a god,” said Matt Harris, a former patient of Archibald. The doctor was known for his work with children who were not developing like their peers.

Officials from Rockefeller University investigated complaints about Archibald’s “inappropriate conduct” back in 2004 and reported it to authorities. However, they found complaints going back to the 1990s.

Victims did not hear anything from the hospital until October of this year when they sent out a letter to over 1,000 patients requesting information about their experience with Archibald.

Attorney Jennifer Freeman says her firm has received hundreds of calls from victims since the letters were sent and believes “there are a tremendous number of victims out there.”

“I got the letter and all of a sudden I felt like I was flashing back 50 years ago,” says Robert Granato. “It burned in my brain, what he did to me.”

Granato was eight years old when he was allegedly abused by Archibald.

In 2003, she contacted Rockefeller University in hopes of finding answers about her time at the facility. When she got her medical records back, there were no pictures, leading her to believe they were not for medical purposes.

Hospital officials say they are investigating the matter further and “deeply regret [any] pain and suffering caused.”

Many of the victims feel the hospital has been covering up the abuse for years and feel it should take more responsibility. Victims have requested the NY Attorney General investigate the matter as well.

“When something like this happens to you, you’re kind of robbed from hope,” said Harris. “Robbed of trusting people, trusting institutions, trusting humanity.

]]>Campus Safety, the brand that schools, universities and healthcare facilities have come to know and trust for more than a quarter century, is facing a crossroads of conscience. As many of you know, in recent years there has been a proliferation of door blocking devices hitting the market. The intention of the companies that manufacture these barricades is to save lives by preventing active shooters from entering classrooms or other areas where students, faculty, clinicians or others might be taking shelter.

However, these devices come with risk because they could prevent individuals with disabilities and, under some circumstances, even persons who don’t have any disabilities from evacuating a building during an emergency, such as a fire. That’s why access control and lock experts say these door barricades violate the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) as well as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes. Although some jurisdictions are allowing these products to be adopted for situations requiring lockdown, experts say the risks outweigh the benefits. Multiple experts, organizations and associations have come out against door blocking devices.

Over the past several years, Campus Safety has described in great detail the challenges with these devices in numerous print and online editorials and in sessions at our Campus Safety Conferences, while maintaining strict abidance to our long-standing editorial policy to never endorse a particular product. Our stance has been to lay out as much information as possible and let you, the campus safety experts, make your own product, technology, policy and training choices.

At the same time, Campus Safety has accepted advertising from various door barricade companies.

But our conscience has been stirred to the breaking point, driven by the potential dangers of barricade devices to students, faculty, administrators, clinicians, patients and others. Thus, Campus Safety, with the support of our parent company Emerald Expositions, is publicly choosing to no longer accept advertising or sponsorships from non-ADA and non-NFPA compliant door barricade companies. Quite simply, it is the right thing to do.

ASIS, PASS, DSSF & DHI Applaud CS Policy Change

Campus Safety’s policy change is being applauded by a wide range of campus security experts, associations and other organizations:

“ASIS International School Safety & Security Council appreciates Campus Safety magazine’s and the Campus Safety Conferences’ change in direction regarding dangerous non-code compliant barricade devices. While we know schools are anxious to provide quick solutions for active shooter situations, we must make sure that life safety codes are respected and avoid the potential harm to a student, teacher or anyone else who could be trapped in a classroom against their will without the ability to escape. The Council looks forward to bringing best practices to the readers of Campus Safety.” — Mark J. Berger, Chair, ASIS international School Safety & Security Council

“The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) fully supports the stand Campus Safety magazine and the Campus Safety Conferences are taking on barricade and ‘door-blocker’ devices. We stand with other organizations including the National Association of State Fire Marshals, Safe and Sound Schools, Secure Schools Alliance, Door and Hardware Institute, Door Security and Safety Foundation, Security Industry Association and many more in opposing the deployment of these devices. In addition to life safety and fire code challenges, these devices also violate the ADA law. There are code- and ADA-compliant solutions that work and are currently in use in most schools. According to the Sandy Hook Commission, there is not one documented instance of an active shooter breaching a locked door. We have additional concerns with many of these devices that interfere with the efforts of emergency responders to quickly and safely reach staff and students during emergencies. At a time when many districts are re-evaluating their security measures and making new investments, it is now more critical than ever to ensure the use of proven, vetted and code-compliant security practices and make the most of limited resources.” — Guy Grace, PASS Chairman

“Door Security and Safety Foundation (DSSF) and Door and Hardware Institute (DHI) thanks Campus Safety Magazine and the Campus Safety Conferences for recognizing the dangerous unintended consequences of installing non-code compliant barricade devices on campus classroom doors. While barricade devices are perceived as providing security, they violate fire and life safety building codes including the Americans with Disabilities Act. DSSF is committed to ensuring that campuses are safe havens for students, faculty, administrators and visitors.” — Jerry Heppes DSSF and DHI CEO

Campuses Must Carefully Select Solutions

The door barricade conundrum highlights the larger issue of how schools, universities and hospitals select the safety and security solutions and policies they implement. It is critical for a college campus, school district or healthcare organization to hire vetted and qualified consultants, systems integrators, engineers and other vendors for guidance on this task.

For the most part (although not always), these professionals should have experience working on your type of campus or organization. For example, a K-12 district should probably consult with an expert in school security. The expert should also have experience in dealing with the particular issue your campus wants addressed. For example, a university wanting to be able to quickly lockdown its classroom doors should consult with a professional who fully understands ADA and NFPA codes.

Additionally, multiple campus stakeholders as well as those in your community should be involved in the decision-making process so one person’s lack of expertise on a particular topic can be addressed by the others. Those stakeholders should include administrators, the C-suite, the superintendent, law enforcement, IT, security system technicians, architects, facilities, fire, emergency management, faculty, clinicians, parents, students (when appropriate) and more.

It’s also important to note that every security and public safety solution and policy — even if it is ADA- and NFPA-code compliant — carries with it some risk. That’s why Campus Safety regularly covers equipment selection, installation, deployment, maintenance, policy and training best practices. We urge all school, university and healthcare facility stakeholders to review this content on CampusSafetyMagazine.com, in our print publication and at our conferences. It is our mission to have every school, university and hospital in America adopt the best solutions possible for their specific situation and campus, install them in the proper locations, support them with the appropriate policies and use them correctly.

We trust that our decision to not accept advertisements or sponsorships from non-ADA and non-NFPA-code compliant door barricade companies will help clear up any confusion surrounding the complex issue of campus lockdowns and active shooter response.

]]>The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) has issued new guidance to help employees in assisted care facilities respond to violence and security issues.

Nursing and residential care facilities are among the industries with the highest prevalence of non-fatal occupational violence, with a rate of 6.8 per 100 full-time workers, according to 2015 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A 2010 study found nurses who worked in nursing homes with special Alzheimer units were at an even higher risker with 35 percent reporting physical injuries resulting from aggression by residents and 12 percent reporting a human bite within the previous 12 months while working at their current facility.

Violence against staff members and between residents is common at many of these facilities as dementia and Alzheimer’s can often manifest as verbally or physically aggressive behavior.

A survey conducted by IAHSS asked security directors and managers of these type of facilities what their top safety concerns were. The top four include:

Resident aggression/violence

Public aggression/violence

Theft from residents and staff

Elopement/wandering

Based on these findings, the IAHSS’ new guidance outlines the different types of threats within long-term care facilities, the security challenges facing these facilities and what can be done to mitigate these threats.

What Kinds of Threats Are Assisted Care Facilities Faced with?

Reflective of its survey’s findings, there are several internal and external threats that the IAHSS says all assisted living employees should be aware of.

Internal threats include assaults on staff, resident on resident violence and elopement/missing residents. Of all assisted living claim types, elopement has the second-highest average total of $388,048 per claim.

External threats, such as those from visitors or trespassers, also include assault on staff and residents, theft/exploitation and armed intrusion. External assaults on nurses and residents often stem from domestic disturbances, such as a family member unsatisfied with the treatment of their loved one.

Residents with diminished mental capacity or cognitive impairment are also vulnerable to thieves. Many are not cognizant of protecting valuables and are more prone to financial exploitation by family, caregivers, fiduciaries, businesses and scammers.

Armed intrusion should also be of concern to employees as many residents have limited mobility and nurses often feel ethically obligated to stay with their patients.

How Can Assisted Care Facilities Mitigate These Security Concerns?

As many assisted care facilities do not have a dedicated security department and often rely on untrained personnel, IAHSS says collaboration between security, facility administration and facility staff is crucial.

To mitigate resident violence, whether against staff members or other residents, IAHSS recommends implementing a disruptive patient and visitor program. As part of the program, patients or visitors who have repeatedly caused disturbances should be flagged. Staff should also be given training on de-escalation and how to recognize and remove potential weapons.

To mitigate public violence, customer service training is recommended to help prevent complaints and diffuse potentially hostile encounters. IAHSS also recommends an electronic access control platform, a visitor management system, campus-wide video surveillance, panic buttons and a mass communication system.

Visitor management, access control and video surveillance systems are also vital in mitigating thefts. It is recommended that residents and their family members be educated on the importance of protecting valuables. An area with lockers should also be provided for staff members to keep their valuables.

]]>The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission has released an initial draft of its school safety recommendations.

The commission, which was created to investigate the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and make safety recommendations, hosted a two-day meeting this week to discuss the initial report findings with the intention of presenting a final report to the governor and legislative leader by Jan. 1, reports WTXL.

The 407-page report outlines many lapses in school safety and security before, during and after the shooting, which the commission says is typical of many schools nationwide. The report also offers recommendations for various ways the school can improve overall safety.

The commission’s new report further supports these findings, claiming seven other Broward County deputies ignored protocol for active shooters that calls for pursuing a gunman to try to disarm him. Officers also wasted more time scrambling to retrieve bulletproof vests from their vehicles, reports The New York Times.

“None of these BSO deputies immediately responded to the gunshots by entering the campus and seeking out the shooter,” the report said. “Deputy sheriffs who took the time to retrieve vests from containers in their cruisers, removed certain equipment they were wearing so that they could put on their vests, and then replaced the equipment they had removed all while shots were being fired, or had been recently fired, is unacceptable and contrary to accepted protocol.”

Report Criticizes Employees, School Safety Training

The report also blamed school policy and training failures for many of the mistakes made by employees, claiming administrators lacked know-how in conducting threat assessments, did not have an active assailant response policy or a written policy on how to initiate a lockdown, and gave no formal training to campus monitors, according to The Sun Sentinel.

The commission has called on the district to investigate Stoneman Douglas principal Ty Thompson on whether he violated district policy by not ensuring that he knew about all potential threats on campus.

“It’s not part of the protocol to bring [threats] to me,” Thompson said in an interview with the commission. “Very rarely does that come up.”

Thompson was only able to guess the number of official threat assessments the school conducted on students each year and “really had no idea of the process.”

One of the monitors saw the gunman, who he described as “crazy boy,” enter the school. However, he did not issue a “code red,” which would have signaled a threat inside the building and kept students behind locked doors, because he had been trained not to set off a law enforcement response unless he saw a gun or heard gunshots. The other monitor hid in a closet when he heard gunfire.

Report Outlines Physical Security Failures

In addition to safety protocol, the report found many problems in the school’s physical security. The school had no public address system speakers in the hallways, which kept administrators from telling students and staff to seek shelter.

Only two of the 30 classrooms in the building where the shooting occurred had marked “hard corners” where students can’t be seen by an intruder peering through the window of a classroom door. Many of these corners were blocked by furniture and were too small to fit all the students, which the commission says contributed to students being killed.

Classrooms were also not equipped with coverings to block door windows, making students visible to the gunman.

“Cruz only shot people within his line of sight and never entered any classroom,” said the report.

Additionally, campus gates were not staffed by security personnel and the front gate was left open after school had started.

Report Gives Recommendations, Including Arming Teachers

The commission’s report also gives recommendations for improvement, including full internal evaluations of both police and school personnel responses.

The report suggests Broward County law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies establish protocols for a unified command at all mass casualty incidents. It also suggests BSO revise its active assailant policy to make it “unequivocally clear” that deputies are expected to immediately seek out an active assailant.

“We look forward to reviewing the commission’s findings,” read a statement from BSO Sheriff Scott Israel regarding the findings. “We will use it as a basis to conduct our own thorough investigation, and we’ll take appropriate steps to make any necessary improvements.”

As for the school, one recommendation given by the commission is to update processes for handling threat assessments. The forms are on paper and the finished paperwork remains at the school in the student’s record.

Threat assessments “are one of the most important opportunities to provide a safer school environment and head-off concerning behavior before it manifests into actual harm,” the commission reported.

Threat assessments regarding the gunman were mishandled on multiple occasions by several employees. The commission recommends the principal be made aware of all threats.

The report also suggests limiting entry and exit points, restricting visitors during school hours and always keeping classroom doors locked.

Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie sent a follow-up letter to the commission Wednesday detailing steps the district has taken in response to the commission’s findings. Some of the improvements include providing live video feeds from school surveillance cameras to law enforcement and holding “code red” trainings for students and staff. Runcie also added that he will contract with a third-party investigator to “undertake further investigations.”

“The purpose is to both bring appropriate accountability and to improve the quality of educational services in the safest environment possible,” he wrote.

Possibly most controversial of the commission’s recommendations is arming teachers.

On Wednesday, the commission voted 13-1 to recommend the Legislature allow the arming of teachers who volunteer and undergo extensive background checks and training, reports The Chronicle. Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex died in the shooting, cast the one vote against the motion.

“We do need more good guys with a gun on campus — nobody understands that and wishes we had more at Marjory Stoneman Douglas than myself,” Schachter said. But arming teachers “creates a host of problems.”

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, the commission’s chairman, said most deaths in school shootings happen within the first few minutes before first responders arrive.

“We have to give people a fighting chance, we have to give them an opportunity to protect themselves,” he said, adding there aren’t enough officers or money to hire one for each school. Even then, they need backup. “One good guy with a gun on campus is not enough.”

]]>https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/stoneman-douglas-safety-commission-findings/feed/4Texas A&M to Train All Health Science Students Opioid Overdose Reversalhttps://www.campussafetymagazine.com/press-release/texas-am-train-students-opioid-overdose-reversal/
https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/press-release/texas-am-train-students-opioid-overdose-reversal/#respondSat, 15 Dec 2018 14:40:04 +0000http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/?p=60947Texas A&M will be the first health science center in the nation to train every health professions students how to administer opioid reversal.

]]>With 91 Americans dying each day from opioid overdose, the Texas A&M University Health Science Center is responding, advancing training and education in pain management and substance abuse in innovative ways. Texas A&M is the first health science center in the nation to commit to train every health professions student to administer a reversal agent to opioid overdose victims, and save lives.

Through the intensive 90-minute Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Administration (OENA) program, the institution will train every Texas A&M Health Science Center student across the state—totaling more than 5,000 students from the colleges of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health—to recognize an opioid overdose and administer naloxone, a drug that can be administered as a nasal spray or injection to reverse the deadly effects of opioid overdoses.

The reversal agent is available as prescription medication, and some states, including Texas, allow naloxone to be distributed by pharmacists to the public without a prescription from a physician via a standing order. Texas also passed legislation allowing for community distribution of naloxone rescue kits by trained individuals to the general public in response to the rising crisis. Anyone is allowed to possess naloxone without a prescription and use it in good faith to save the life of a person believed to be suffering from an opioid overdose.

“Naloxone is a life-saving treatment to help until emergency personnel arrive,” said Joy Alonzo, M. Engineering, PharmD, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Pharmacy, who is leading the naloxone training effort at the Health Science Center. “The goal is to train our students how to administer naloxone and also educate them about the health care needs of the opioid crisis and spread that awareness to others.”

Alonzo is a member of the institution’s Opioid Task Force, which was formed in 2018 to reduce burdens from the opioid epidemic through collaborative action in research, education and community outreach, across the health sciences. Training of all health professions students is an important component of both the education and community outreach initiatives of the task force.

“Whenever you’re faced with a crisis, you need creative solutions,” said Carrie L. Byington, MD, vice chancellor for health services at The Texas A&M University System, senior vice president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and dean of the Texas A&M College of Medicine. “The best ideas come when multiple viewpoints are at the table, and that’s the idea behind our interprofessional Opioid Task Force. Together, we’re reducing the stigma associated with opioids, and empowering the next generation of health care professionals to become advocates for naloxone administration within their own communities, wherever they may practice after graduation.”

Students are already putting what they’ve learned to practice. Pharmacy students, who were trained early on through Operation Naloxone, are now actively training first responders and members of the community in how to recognize an overdose and administer naloxone.

“We have seen five reversals from trainings provided to communities,” Alonzo said. “We’re preventing overdose deaths in our communities, and providing opportunities for people with opioid use disorder to access treatment and recovery—saving lives.”

The task force’s efforts also translate well beyond Texas’ borders. Task Force representatives, including Byington and Alonzo, are engaged at the national level, with the American Medical Association Alliance and the Association of American Medical Colleges.

There’s also an evaluation component planned. “We’re going to survey the students on the effectiveness of the training, and then we’re going to re-survey them every 12 months until they graduate to see what sticks and how their attitudes about opioid use disorder changes,” Alonzo said. “We need to change the perspective of the next generation of health care providers, and this initiative is one component of that.”

The ultimate goal is to destigmatize substance use disorders and teach providers—and society in general—to consider it a chronic health condition, not a lack of willpower or a character flaw. Naloxone doesn’t solve the problem or help people overcome addiction, but it does save their lives so they have the opportunity to seek treatment.

“This sort of training should be very common, just like people are trained in CPR,” Alonzo said. “You may never need it, but if the situation does arise, you need to know how to do it right and feel confident that you can save a life.”

Texas A&M University Health Science Center is transforming health through innovative research, education and service in dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and medical sciences. As an independent state agency and academic unit of Texas A&M University, the health science center serves the state through campuses in Bryan-College Station, Dallas, Temple, Houston, Round Rock, Kingsville, Corpus Christi and McAllen. Learn more at vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu.

CSUN Police Chief Anne P. Glavin says the person responsible for either threat has not been identified and the school is working with the LAPD to investigate.

Off-campus exam options were provided for students on Wednesday, but the campus remained open based on the threat level and information from the police.

During a press conference, President Dianne F. Harrison said police do not believe there is an “imminent threat,” however, precautions will still be taken.

“Sadly, the world in which we live requires we take threats of violence and expressions of hate seriously – even when there is no evidence to suggest that the threatened acts are likely to materialize,” said Harrison.

Students are feeling worried about their safety and are looking for more information, especially after the Thousand Oaks shooting, the local shooting last month where 13 people died.

Over 10,500 people signed an online petition to close campus on Wednesday.

“Every threat should be credible and taken into consideration and investigated and anything that can be done to stop it should be done, even if it’s not real,” said Denise King, CSUN freshman.

]]>https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/university/csun-2-mass-shooting-threats/feed/0Santa Fe ISD Sees Enrollment Drop After School Shootinghttps://www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/santa-fe-isd-enrollment-drop/
https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/santa-fe-isd-enrollment-drop/#respondFri, 14 Dec 2018 14:25:23 +0000http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/?p=61003There are 200 fewer students enrolled in the Santa Fe ISD this year compared to last after a student gunman shot and killed 10 people in May.

]]>A Houston-area school district saw a four percent enrollment rate drop this school year following a mass shooting that claimed 10 lives back in May.

Around 200 fewer students are now attending schools in the Santa Fe Independent School District compared to the 2017-2018 school year, reports KERA News. Half of the loss comes from Santa Fe High School where a student gunman opened fire in an art class on May 18, killing eight students and two teachers.

The Santa Fe area is also dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey that left approximately 23 percent of its high school students with flooded homes or no access to basic necessities. District spokeswoman Patti Hanssard said some families still haven’t been able to return to their homes.

School officials acknowledge that the shooting may have had a noticeable impact on this year’s enrollment numbers.

“We understand that families in our community are going through a very difficult healing and recovery process, and it will continue to take a very long time to work through these traumatic experiences and rebuild their lives,” said Hanssard. “Parents must make the best decisions for their students, and we support them in doing so.”

Parent Kendra Hammond, who pulled her daughter from the school following the shooting and had previously pulled her son back in 2014, criticizes how the district responded to the shooting.

Hammond questions the decision to allow students back in the school a week after the shooting and the fact that the school’s new counselors’ offices were placed just feet away from the art room where the shooting happened, reports The Chronicle.

However, Santa Fe isn’t the only school district that saw an enrollment drop following a school shooting. Frank DeAngelis, who was the principal at Columbine High School in 1999 when two students shot and killed 13 people, said nearly 20 percent of students did not return to school.

“A lot of it was really the parents. They were concerned,” DeAngelis said. “We did have students who were given the opportunity by our school district to go to other schools. A lot of kids were home-schooled because coming back to the building traumatized them.”

On the contrary, not all school districts that have experienced a mass shooting have seen an enrollment drop. Following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that claimed 17 lives, only 19 students did not return for the 2018-2019 school year, which is only a 0.6 percent drop.